Actress-danseuse Isha Sharvani who was in Vadodara to perform at a mega art and culture festival, says, "My mother is a Gujarati and I have very fond memories of Gujarat. My mom used to bring me to Gujarat for a couple of months every year, as she was keen that as a kid, I should not miss out on the joys of living in a joint family atmosphere. Some of my fondest childhood memories are associated with Ahmedabad, where my cousins live. I speak perfect Gujarati, love Gujarati food and call myself a global Gujarati!"

Excerpts from a chat with Times of India:

In spite of being launched by Subhash Ghai in Kisna you have mostly stayed away from Bollywood.
It is a very conscious decision. I have taken the road less travelled since childhood and can't give up on my dance which is my passion. I have done six Hindi films and, more recently, acclaimed Malayalam and Tamil movies too. I am open to doing good films in any language, but my dance should not suffer. At the most, I may do one or two films a year.

Your flexibility as a dancer and fabulous dance moves remain a talking point. What's the secret?
I decided at an early age that dance was my first love and worked extremely hard. For the first 10 years as a performer, I would practise for about eight hours every day, starting at 5 am. Even today, I practise extensively. Also, my training in martial arts has helped. My mother deserves a lot of credit for where I am today.

Are you open to doing a dance reality show?
I am not sure. Doing Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 5 was a fantastic experience and it helped showcase my talent to the masses.

You dropped out of school at nine, and had an unconventional upbringing.
It wasn't easy. But I have no regrets, as I chose this life. Also, I didn't have to look far for inspiration. My parents allowed me and my brother to take independent decisions, although we were so young.


Why aren't you active on social networking sites?
I think I am too old-fashioned! Somehow, I haven't been able to get on to it.

A lot was written about your personal life (her relationship and break-up with Zaheer Khan) in the past. Was it difficult to handle?
A celebrity's personal life is always under scrutiny, but I felt bad for my family because it wasn't easy for them to handle that situation. Any plans of tying the knot in the future? No,